russell



Jan. 22, 1957 RUSSELL 2,778,568

NUMERAL WHEEL REGISTERING MECHANISM Filed July 1, 1955 3 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1957 A. G. RUSSELL 2,778,568

I NUMERAL WHEEL REGISTERING MECHANISM Filed July 1, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN NTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1957 RUSSELL 2,778,568

NUMERAL WHEEL. REGISTERING MECHANISM Filed July 1, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 54 Wu G 2 BY ATTORNEY NUMERAL WHEEL REGISTERING MECHANISM Alva G. Russell, Stamford, Conn., assignor to Pitney- Bowes, Inc., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Dela- Ware Application July 1, 1955, Serial No. 519,479

12 Claims. (Cl. 235-436) This invention relates to numeral wheel registering mechanism wherein numeral wheels of the differentially geared type have tens transfer mechanism of the creepcrawl type combined therewith.

The registering mechanism herein disclosed is particularly adapted for use in a postage meter.

in certain registering mechanisms which are used to register the values of postage printed, the tens transfer from a numeral wheel of lower order to a numeral wheel of higher order is accomplished by means of the well known Geneva type of transfer. The Geneva transfer has performed best in registering mechanisms where all values are entered through the numeral wheel of lowest order, but when the larger denominations of postage required the entry of two or more digit values, the Geneva type of transfer proved to be inadequate. Differentially driven counter wheels, when combined with Geneva transfer mechanism, proved effective in meeting the conditions of providing for the simultaneous entry of values of any denomination, but with the transfer operation limited to one tenth or 36 of the full rotation of the numeral wheel, the load which developed during this short period of transfer operation presented difiicult problems, especially in a five bank meter where as many as four transfers could occur simultaneously.

In the creep-crawl system of tens transfer, as provided herein in combination with differentially geared numeral wheels, the difiiculties offered by the Geneva transfer are corrected. Here, transfer is continuous during register wheel operation, that is, any value entered in any numeral wheel will have one tenth of the value simultaneously entered in the wheel of higher order.

However, the creep-crawl system of transfer presented its own problem in that after an initial register operation, the numerals on the numeral wheels were never in reading alignment. To provide for reading alignment, the numeral wheels are accordingly adjusted at the time it is desired to read same.

it is the general object of this invention, therefore, to combine tens transfer mechanism of the creep-crawl type with differentially geared numeral wheels which will meet the transfer and numeral reading conditions required in registering mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide transfer drive gearing between any register numeral wheel and a wheel of next higher order which will progressively effect the transfer rotation of each wheel of higher order, and to further utilize the same transfer drive gearing to effect rectification or adjustment of the numeral wheels to place the numerals in a correct reading position.

It is another object to provide a creep-crawl type of transfer for the numeral wheels of registering mechanism, also for the rectification of the numerals thereof for reading, through the use of compound gearing, and to maintain said gearing in a continuously meshed and driving relation with the differential drive of the numeral wheel during transfer and rectification operations.

It is also an object to provide a continuously geared States Patent transfer mechanism directly driven from a numeral wheel of lower order to an adjacent numeral wheel of higher order to provide a 1-10 reduction drive to the latter wheel, and to combine therewith means whereby a part of the transfer gearing may be rocked to produce a planetary differential driving action to eflect rectification of the numeral of the wheel of higher order for the purpose of numeral reading.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a registering mechamsm with parts broken away and taken in the direction of the arrow 1 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through two adjacent numeral wheels and associated tens transfer mechanism with the section differing for each wheel; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail the register includes a group of numeral wheels 10 rotatable on a shaft 11 which shaft is supported within suitable side walls of a frame, one wall of which is shown at 12. Five numeral wheels are shown in Fig. 1 which wheels are adapted to be individually actuated by suitable actuator mechanism such as the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,657,593 or by any other suitable means. A value to be registered in the mechanism disclosed may vary from It to $999.99. In a postage meter or any printing register, whatever value is set for printing is also set in the actuator mechanism to eflect accumulation in the register wheels of the amount printed during a printing cycle of operation.

Each numeral wheel is differentially driven and includes a shell 13 having numerals 14 on its periphery in the order of 0 through 9. One end of the shell is closed, as at 15, while the opposite end has an opening 16 which is closed by means of a disk 17. A portion 18 of the disk fits within the shell opening 16 and may be secured thereto in any suitable manner.

A pair of planetary pinions 2i and 21 are rotatably mounted on stub shafts 22 and 23 which shafts are supported in the closed end 15 of the shell and in the disk 17. The pinions are so mounted as to be in overlapped engagement and are constantly in mesh with each other as shown in Fig. 5. The planetary pinion 21) also meshes with a sun gear 24 which is provided at the inner end of a hub 25. A gear 26 provided at the opposite end of the hub 25 is the main drive gear for the differentially driven numeral wheel. The hub 25 has a running fit within a bearing 27 provided in the disk 17 and further has a bore 28 which forms a bearing on the shaft 11.

The other planetary pinion 21 meshes with a sun gear 29 which is provided at the inner end of a hub 31. A gear 32 provided at the opposite end of the hub 31 is the transfer driving gear for the differentially driven numeral wheel. The hub 31 has a running fit within a bearing 33 provided in the closed end 15 of the shell 13 and further has a bore 34 which forms a bearing on the shaft 11.

It will be apparent from the description of the differentially geared numeral wheel that the wheel can be rotated in direct response to rotation of either the main driving gear 26 or the transfer gear 32, also when both gears 26 and 32 are simultaneously driven.

As shown in Fig. 1, the numeral wheels are spaced along the shaft 11 and each numeral wheel of lower order is connected with an adjacent numeral wheel of higher order by transfer gearing generally indicated at 35. It is to be noted that the transfer drive gear 32 of the numeral wheel of lowest order is locked against 3 rotation by a pin 30' projecting from the wall 12 into a tooth space of the gear 32 Transfer is accomplished in a wheel of higher order during the-entire rotation of an adjacent numeral. wheel of lower order. A drive gear 36, provided as a part of the disk 17', meshes with a gear 37 which is freely rotatable on a shaft 38 supported by the walls 12. Said shaft 38 alsoprovides a pivotal support for an inverted U shaped bracket 39 which bracket serves as a support for part of the transfergearing 35. When rocked about the shaft 38, the bracket moves the gearing supported thereby in a planetary fashion to effect adjustment of the nurneral wheel of higher order forthe purposc'of num a me as.

The transfer gearing further includes a gear it which is integral with; the gear 3? and meshes with a gear-4;; rotatable on a shaft 43 carried by the bracket 3& A pinion M forms an integral part of the gear 42 and meshes with a gear 45 freely rotatable on the shaft 33. The final gear l of thetransfer-gear train is an integral part of thegear 45 and meshes with the transfer drive gear 62 of the numeral wheel of next higher order.

The transfer gearing abovedescribed is compounded in a manner toprovide in a wheel of next higher order, one tenth of the degree of rotation of the adjacent numeral wheel of lower order. Each transfer unit is retained against lateral movement by means of a plate '47, which, as best shown in Fig. 3, is supported on tie-rods Sit-50 carried by the endsupporting walls 12 of the frame. The side surfaces of said plates 47 are engaged by the full faces or a portion of the faces of the transfer gears above mentioned and has the upper edge portion thereof shaped toprovide a semi-circular guiding edge 48, which edge is engaged by a'hub d9 between the gear 42 and pinion 44.

Any desirable actuating means may be provided to enter values into the numeral wheels through their main driving gears 26, such as by the mechanism disclosed in Patent No. 2,657,593. considered the equivalent of the intermediate gear of the patent, for example. Whatever the means of actuation, the gear 26 of a numeral wheel '10 will be driven during a cycle of operation in accordance with a pre-set value and one tenth of the value will transfer into the numeral wheel of higher order, with each numeral wheel of 'higher order than the numeral wheel which is actuated receiving one tenth of the amount of movement that has entered its adjacent wheel of lower order. In

view of the continuous transferaction, the numerals of v the register wheels move in spiral formation and hence the numerals are never in an aligned or normal'reading position.

The transfer gears in the transfer gear train constantly remain in driving relation with the gear 36 and the transfer drive gear 32 of an adjacent numeral wheel of higher order. Further, said driving relation is maintained when the bracket 3% is rocked about the shaft 38 to adjust the numeral wheel of higher order to a reading position. The bracket movement is controlled by the position of a detented cam 52, the detents of which, as best seen in Fig. 4, are provided around the periphery of the numeral wheel disk 17, associated with an adjacent wheel of lower order. The detentcavity portions 53 are provided in varying depth with the least depth starting at the 0 position and increasinglprogressively through'the 9 position, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Cooperating withthe detented cam, to effect rectification of the numeral wheel for reading, is a rectifying pawl 54 which is pivotally positionedon a rod 55, carried by the walls 12 of the frame, and is normally urged toward the periphery of the detented cam 52. A tooth 56 oirthe pawl 54 is shaped to fit snugly into any of thedetent cavities "53 when the'rectifying pa'wlSd is free for movement, and i when the tooth is engaged therein, the numeral wheel associated therewith is in An actuator gear 51 might be 1 its proper reading position. The rectifyingpawl54. has an arm 57 extending upwardly and around the numeral wheel as in Fig. 2, the end thereof passing to the inside of one side wall of the bracket 39. Said arm 57 has a pin 58 secured therein and projecting sidewardly through a cam slot 59 in the bracket 39. At the lower end of the rectifying pawl 5'4, a tailpiece 61 is urged in the direction'of a stop-member 62 by a spring 63, which spring is stretched between an anchor rod 64- and a cting portion 65 of therectifyingpawl. Thestop bets s7. arefixed to a shaft 66 and are arrangedin a staggered relation on the shaft to first effect the'releasc of the rectifying'kpawl 54 which-is'associated with the numeral wheel of lowest order, then the progressive release of each'pawl of higher order.

Upon release, the rectifying pawl S t will rock, thus causing the pin 58 to move within the cam slot 59 to effectrocking of bracket 39 in a counter-clockwise direction. Said rocking willcause the hub 49 betweenpinion 44 and gear 42 to ride over the guiding edge ifi 'of the plate 47. The bracket 39-also rotates about shaft 38 and carries therewith the shaft 43 on which the gear 42 and pinion 44- are free to rotate. Inasmuch as rectificationtakes place when the registering device is not in operation and-initially involves only the transfer portion of an operation in a'wheel of higher order, and inasmuch as the wheel of adjacent lower order is held fixed while initialrectification takes place, the gear 36 carried by thewheel 'of lower order and the compound'gears 3], Min driving relation with said gear 36 are 'therefore also in a'fixed position.

As the bracket 3? moves, during rectification, the gear l'is driven about the fixed gear 41. The movement-of the bracket 35) under control of the detented cam, and the reductionratio of gears i t-4.5, elfects a resulting movement through gears as, 32 and the differential gearing within the numeral wheel to provide sufficient rota.- tion for the return of the numeral of the wheel of higher order to an approximate reading position. Final'and cxact rectification takes place during the initialrectification of the next wheel of higher order when the tooth 56 of the rectifying pawl 54, associated with the numeralwheel of lower order moves into the detent cavity 53 which had been previously adjusted during its rectifying operation.

It is thusapparent that final rectification is associated vith 'the'numeral wheel of lower order, also,'that the rectifying pawls 5d are released in a progressive order starting with thewheel of lowest order. Release of the first rectifying pawl 54 associated with the units wheel upon removal of the stop member 62 from the tail piece 61, during rotation of the'shaft 66, will effect the adjustment ofthe tens-numeral wheel before the tooth 56 becomes seated inthe de'tentcavity 53 associated with the units wheel. Further rotation of the shaft 66 will next cause the stop 62a to be removed from the tail piece 61:: of the rectifying pawl 54a, thus initiating rectification' ofthe hundreds wheel While the 'tooth56a elfects'finaha'djustment of'the tens numeral wheel and so on.

Through the above described arrangement, therefore, each wheel of higher order, beginning with the tens wheel, rceivesits initial adjustment by the action of therelease of' t he rectifying"pawls of the wheel of adjacent lower order. This arrangement of rectification always places the'wheel of higher'o rder in a position where the pawl t0oth"56 is opposite a'detent cavity and never opposite the high poin't' of thefdetent. It is'thus impossible for the p'ointsfof the 'detenfland pawl to" engage'end on end. Whenthefpawl 'sfifinally-engages a detent cavity, the numeral wheel is' firrr'1ly'locked. After all of the'reetifyingfpawls are -in the latter position, all'of the numeral wheels are a absolute alignment for reading.

Return the numeral wheels to their normal positions forlfurther actuation is accomplished '-when 'cam portions '67,"67a -b -c--d of the s'tQp' members 62,

62a-bc--d reengage their respective tail pieces and restore same to their original positions, as indicated in Fig. 2 with the tail piece resting on the outer peripheral surface of the stop member 62. A complete revolution of the shaft 66 will accomplish the latter. Rotation of said shaft 66 may be provided by the manual rotation of a knob 68 or by any suitable manually releasable power means. Detent locking of the stop members 62, 62abc-d may be provided by means of the spring biased locking pawl 69 which has a toothed portion 71 adapted to engage notches 72, 73 arranged in a sleeve 74 fixed to the shaft 66. Notch 72 represents the home position and notch 73 the numeral wheel reading position.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a simple reduction gear (creep crawl) drive between a numeral wheel of lower order and an adjacent numeral wheel of higher order is provided with means for the rectification adjustment of the reduction drive without breaking any part of the meshed relation of the normal geared drive between adjacent numeral wheels and that the result of said rectification Will place the numerals of all the numeral wheels in exact reading alignment When desired.

Having described the'invention, what is claimed is:

1. Registering mechanism comprising numeral wheels, reduction transfer gear drive units between pairs of numeral wheels to provide continuous reduction transfer throughout all of the numeral Wheels connected with the transfer drive units, and means to effect a reverse adjustment of the transfer gear drive units while the gears remain in their meshed transfer driving relation, whereby the numerals of the numeral Wheels are returned to reading alignment when desired.

2. Registering mechanism comprising numeral wheels, reduction transfer gear drive units between pairs of numeral wheels to provide continuous reduction transfer throughout all of the numeral wheels connected with the transfer drive units, means to effect a reverse adjustment of the transfer gear drive units while the gears remain in their meshed transfer driving relation, whereby the numerals of the numeral wheels are returned to reading alignment when desired, and return mechanism operatively connected with the reverse adjustment means, whereby the position of the numeral wheels before adjustment is reestablished.

3. Registering mechanism comprising numeral wheels, reduction transfer gear drive units between pairs of numeral wheels to provide continuous reduction transfer throughout all of the numeral wheels connected with the transfer drive units, means to effect a planetary drive of certain transfer gears over another portion of the transfer gear drive and a consequent reverse adjustment of a numeral wheel of higher order While the gears of the transfer gear drive remain in their meshed transfer driving relation, whereby the numerals of the numeral wheels are returned to reading alignment when desired.

4. Registering mechanism comprising numeral wheels, reduction transfer gear drive units between pairs of numeral wheels to provide continuous reduction transfer throughout all of the numeral wheels connected with the transfer drive units, a pivotal support for certain gears of the transfer gear drive, and means to rock said support to effect a reverse adjustment of the numeral wheel of hi her order while the gears of the transfer gear drive remain in their meshed transfer driving relation, whereby the numerals of the numeral wheels are returned to reading alignment when desired.

5. A register mechanism having a plurality of numeral wheels each wheel having a main driving gear and a transfer driving gear with differential gearing between said driving gears and the numeral wheel, means to actuate the main driving gears in accordance with selected numeral values, a gear rotatable with the numeral wheel, transfer mechanism comprising reduction gearing having a continuously meshed driving connection between the gear which is rotatable with the numeral wheel and the transfer mechanism including a differential drive to prm vide for the driving movement of the teeth of. one. spur gear in a planetary order around theteetli of the gear which rotates with the numeral wheel when said numeral wheel and gear occupy a stationary position, whereby a reverse drive of the transfer driving gear is effected for the adjustment of the numeral wheel of higher order to position the numerals thereon for reading when desired.

6. A register mechanism having a plurality of numeral wheels each wheel having a main driving gear and a transfer driving gear with diflierential gearing between said driving gears and the numeral wheel, means to actuate the main driving gears in accordance with selected numeral values, a gear rotatable with the numeral wheel, transfer mechanism comprising reduction gearing having a continuously meshed driving connection between the gear which is rotatable with the numeral wheel and the transfer driving gear of a wheel of next higher order, and means to provide for meshed movement of the teeth of one gear around the teeth of the gear which rotates with the numeral wheel when the numeral Wheel and gear occupy a stationary position, whereby a reverse drive of the transfer driving gear of the wheel of higher order is effected for the adjustment of the numeral wheel of next higher order to position the numerals thereon for reading when desired.

7. A register mechanism having a plurality of numeral wheels each wheel having a main driving gear and a transfer driving gear With differential gearing between said driving gears and the numeral wheel, means to actuate the main driving gears in accordance with selected numeral values, a gear rotatable with the numeral wheel, transfer mechanism comprising reduction gearing having a continuously meshed driving connection between the gear which is rotatable with the numeral wheel and the transfer driving gear of a wheel of next higher order, a support for the transfer mechanism pivotally positioned to provide for planetary movement of the teeth of one gear around the teeth of the gear which rotates with the numeral wheel when said numeral wheel and gear occupy a stationary position at the end of an operating cycle, and means to effect rocking movement of the support, whereby a reverse drive of the transfer driving gear of the wheel of next higher order is effected for the adjustment of the numeral wheel to position the numerals thereon for reading when desired.

8. A register mechanism having a plurality of numeral wheels each wheel having a main driving gear and a transfer driving gear with differential gearing between said said driving gears and the numeral wheel, means to actuate the main driving gears in accordance with selected numeral values, a gear rotatable with the numeral wheel, transfer mechanism comprising reduction gearing having a continuously meshed driving connection between the gear which is rotatable with the numeral wheel and the transfer driving gear of a wheel of next higher order, a support for the transfer mechanism pivotally positioned to provide for planetary movement of the teeth of one gear around the teeth of the gear which rotates with the numeral wheel when said numeral wheel and gear occupy a stationary position at the end of an operating cycle, means to effect rocking movement of the support, whereby a reverse drive of the transfer driving gear of the wheel of next higher order is efiected for the adjustment of the numeral wheel to position the numerals thereon for reading when desired, a rectifying cam rotatable with each numeral wheel and having peripheral detent cavities of varying shape and depth, and a detent engaging element operable to engage a detent cavity of a cam associated with a numeral wheel of adjacent lower order, whereby after adjustment of the higher order numeral wheel the lower order wheel is precisely adjusted to and locked in a line reading position.

9. A register mechanism having a plurality of numeral wheels each wheel having a main driving gear and a tran greases fer driving gearwithfdilferential gearing. between said driving gears andtheinurneral'wheehan actuator gear meshed 'with'the main driving gear, a'gear'rotatable with the numeral wheel, transfer'mechanism comprising a reductiongear train having a continuously meshed driving connectionbetween the gear which is rotatable with the numeral wheel andthe transfer driving gear of a wheel of next higher order, a movable member supporting the transfer mechanism and pivotally positioned to provide for planetary movement of the'teeth of one gear around the teeth of the gear which rotates with'the numeral wheel when said numeralwvheeland gear occupy a stationary position at the'end of an operating cycle, said movement ofthe gearefl'ecting a reversedrive of the gear train and the'consequent drive of the'transter driving gear of the wheel of next higher order for the adjustment of sait wheel 'to position it for reading, a rectifying rotatable with each numeral wheel and having peripheral det-ent cavities-varying in shape anddepth in accordance with the movemenfirequired of the movable member, and means to move the movable member about its pivot including adetent engaging element operable to engage a detent cavity of a camassociated'with a numeral. wheel ofadjacent lowerorder, whereby after adjustment of the higher order numeral wheel the lower'ordcr wheel is precisely adjusted to and locked in a line reading position.

it. A register mechanism having a plurality of numeral wheels each wheel having arnain driving gear and a transfor driving gear with differential gearing between said driving gears and the numeralwheeL-an actuator gear meshed with the main driving geana gear rotatable with the numeral wheel, transfer mechanism comprising a reduction gear train having a continuously meshed driving connection betwene thegear which is rotatable with the numeral wheel and the transfer driving gear of a Wheel of next higher order, a'movable member supporting the transfer mechanism and pivotally positioned to'provide for planetary movement of the teeth of one gear around the teeth of the gear which rotates with the numeral wheel when said numeral wheeland .gearvoccupy a stationary position at the end, of air-operating. cycle, said ;mov e ment of thegear effecting a reverse drive 'of the gear trainand the consequent drive of the transfer driving gear of the wheel of next higher order for .the temporary vadjustment of said wheel to position it for reading, a rectifying cam rotatable with each numeral whee'l.and having peripheral detent cavities varying in shape-and, depth in accordance withthe movement required. ofthe movable member, a rocker lever operably connectedwith the movable memher and including a detent engaging element normally urged in the direction of a detent cavity, a stop normally retaining the detent engagingelernent in non-engaging position relative toa cavity, and means .torelease the rocker lever to first e'fiect adjustmentQof the movable memher and gear train and finally toeffect engagement of the detent engaging element with .the detent cavityof a cam associated with a numeral wheel of adjacent lower order, whereby the numeral wheels are adjusted to and locked in a line reading position.

11. Registering mechanism comprising, at least twonumeral wheels, creepcrawl. reduction transfergearingbetween said numeral wheels toprovidecontinuous transfer from any wheel of lower order to a wheel of, higher order, and means to effect adjustment of the transfer gearing while the, gears remain in theiroriginal meshed transfer driving relation, whereby the numeralowheel of higher order is returned to a reading position when desired.

12. Registering mechanism comprising atleast two differentially geared numeral wheels, creep crawl reduction transfer gearing between said numeral wheels toprovidc continuous transfer from any wheelof lower order to a wheel vof higher order, and means to effect adjustment of the transferv gearing while the gears remain in their original meshed transfer driving relation, whereby the numeral wheel of higher order is returned to a reading position when desired.

No references cited. 

